Early voting popular, costly in Massachusetts

Thursday

Oct 18, 2018 at 11:54 AMOct 18, 2018 at 11:54 AM

Want to vote early this year? The state allows it and all five Wachusett towns are participating in early voting hours.

In an effort to boost voter turnout, early voting first started in the state 2016. Each municipality is mandated to make at least one location available for voters to cast early ballots during regular business hours in the two weeks prior to Election Day.

Early voting proved popular then, with more than 1 million voters -- or 22.9 percent of registered voters -- choosing to vote before the actual Election Day across the state. Across The Landmark's coverage area, Holden had 23.3 percent of voter turnout, Paxton had 18.3 percent, Princeton had 21 percent, Rutland had 22.2 percent and Sterling had 29.2 percent.

Voters this year will again have the opportunity, with early voting allowed between Oct. 22 and Nov. 2. It will not be allowed in the three days prior to the general election, scheduled for Nov. 6, to give election officials time to set up for Election Day.

Debra O’Malley, spokeswoman for Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin’s office, said the state isn’t making any projections for early voter turnout this year, as trends based on one year of data are difficult to discern.

The 2016 results are nonetheless noteworthy, she added.

“It was the first time and there was a lot of excitement,” O’Malley said. “People were eager to vote.”

Contributing to its popularity, early voters don’t need to justify why they want to vote early. Unlike absentee ballots, which voters can use if away on Election Day, disabled or with a religious conflict, early voters can cast ballots ahead of Election Day, no questions asked.

“Early voting helps voters fit voting into busy work, childcare, and school schedules. Experience in other states suggests the increased accessibility of elections improves voter retention and moderately boosts turnout. And with a well-run voter education effort, it could expand the electorate as well,” according to a March report by Common Cause Massachusetts.

But running extended hours can come at a cost for towns. It also forces local and state leaders to determine which level of government is responsible for what cost.

The question was somewhat answered earlier this year when State Auditor Suzanne Bump certified municipalities spent $1 million in unfunded, mandated costs to provide early voting in 2016.

“Our mandate determination found additional expenses, such as overtime for regular employees or the cost of additional election workers to support early voting to be an unfunded mandate, thus requiring reimbursement from the commonwealth,” Bump wrote in a letter to the state Legislature.

Mandated costs, paid through a supplemental budget allocation, varied by municipality. Holden had a $0 expense for early voting, Paxton had $600.43, Princeton had $653.64, Rutland had $495 and Sterling had the most expenses with $2,309. But compared to cities, the City of Worcester expenses totaled $26,640.

The reimbursements, however, did not cover extended work hours and the days polls were open on the weekend, meaning local leaders must decide whether the additional investment is worth the convenience to voters.

In 2016, the state allocated $400,000 for early voting, which Galvin spent mostly toward supporting extended and weekend hours. The state hasn’t yet allocated similar funds this year, meaning municipalities could also be on the hook for additional costs.

“My staff are working numerous hours and even though the voter locations may close, we’re still here two to three hours later and back in here at seven in the morning to prepare,” Ford said.

In turn, the state could be facing increased costs, as Bump’s report signaled to municipal leaders what early voting-related costs the state will reimburse.

“Local officials know they can be reimbursed for certain costs,” O’Malley said.

For local election officials, it’s come down to finding a balance between convenience, complying with the law and budgeting.

“Making early voting more accessible to the voters while staying within our budget -- that’s the challenge,” DeBrito said.

Eli Sherman is an investigative and in-depth reporter at Wicked Local and GateHouse Media. Email him at esherman@wickedlocal.com, or follow him on Twitter @Eli_Sherman.

For early voting hours in the Wachusett area, head to The Landmark.com